Just Eat It: Lasagna Pie

By StiffMy inspiration for cooking can come from a variety of things. Sometimes I get inspired by having a dish from a restaurant that I’ve never had before and try to replicate it at home. Sometimes inspiration comes from recipes I may see on television. I mostly get inspired by the certain items I see in the grocery store or farmer’s market.

Sometimes I fail at the outcome of what I’m making and sometimes I succeed. I just like to try new things and expand my horizons when it comes to testing new ingredients or cooking methods. James, my husband is a great guinea pig. He will generally eat whatever I make and is honest about how the food tastes. Unlike James, I myself am much more critical about how my food turns out.

I used an 11.5” pie pan for this recipe. If you have a smaller pie pan, you may want to use 1/4 of the ingredients listed for a normal 9” pie pan.

Make pie crust and refrigerate while creating the pie filling.

Preheat oven to 350*.

Bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil for the pasta. Break lasagna sheet into about 2” pieces and par boil the pasta. It will continue to cook the rest of the way in the oven with the sauce and meat.

In a large fry pan, heat to medium-high heat and add ground beef. Add salt and pepper and italian seasoning and continue to cook until half the pink is gone. Drain meat and return to pan and lower heat to medium and add onions and garlic. Continue to cook for until meat is fully cooked.

Add pasta noodles and sauce and mix until well combined. Add 1/4 cup of parmesan/romano cheese and cottage cheese. Mix until well combined. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Roll out pie crust and transfer to pie pan. Take 1/4 cup of left over grated cheese and layer it across the bottom of the pie crust bottom. Add pie filling and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake for 1 hour or until the pie crust is golden brown and the cheese is toasted.